Famous Harringtons

This section is still under construction

Sir John Harrington

The first W.C. was invented in 1592 by Sir John Harington, from the town of Bath in Somerset, England. His device had a seat, a bowl and behind it a cistern of water for washing away the contents. He called it the 'Ajax' and built one for himself and one for his Godmother, Queen Elizabeth I. In spite of the Queen's enthusiasm for this new invention, the public remained faithful to the chamber-pot.

The invention was then completely ignored for the next two hundred years!

Cumming's water closet  patented in 1775

(source: http://www.theplumber.com/closet.html)

From 1775 new patents came regularly and the loo gradually developed until pioneers like Mr. Crapper and his contemporaries, such as George Jennings, Thomas Twyford, Edward Johns and Henry Doulton began producing W.C.s much as we know them today.